Reel cannister with improved lock



June 3, 1969 w. e. RAHAIM REEL CANNISTER WITH IMPROVED LOCK Sheet Filed July 7, 1967 2/ NED June 3, 1969 w. G. RAHAIM REEL CANNISTER WITH IMPROVED LOCK Sheet Filed July 7, 196'? INVENTOR.

w W M W WNW 3,447,673 REEL CANNISTER WITH IMFRGVED LOCK William G. Rahaim, Decatur, Ala, assignor to Decatur Plastic, Inc., a corporation of Alabama Filed July 7, 1967, Ser. No. 651,898 Int. Cl. B65h 55/02; B65d 45/00 US. Cl. 206-52 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to cannisters for tape and the like and has for its principal vision of an improved locking mechanism two halves of the cannister relation.

An object of my invention is to provide a reel cannister in which the locking means embodies a plurality of inwardly and outwardly movable locking lugs or dogs, the lugs being so shaped on their ends to snap to closed position merely by bringing the parts together, thus eliminating the necessity of having to turn the handle when securing the cannister halves.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved lock for reel cannisters in which the locking members embody a plurality of rectilinearly movable locking lugs biased toward outward, locked position, together with a cam and handle operator therefor effective to move the lugs inwardly, to unlocked position, the lugs and biasing means therefor being effective to return the handle to the position with the lugs projecting outwardly either in locked position or in position ready to snap into locked position, as the case may be.

In the art to which this invention relates various forms of locking means for holding the two halves of reel cannisters together have been devised. Many of these devices are complicated, expensive to make and are not entirely positive in operation at all times. Furthermore, the prior devices with which I am familiar do not permit the reel halves to be locked simply by bringing them together and pressing them toward each other at their centers, but on the other hand require that the handle be turned both when locking and unlocking.

Briefly, my invention comprises a lock in which the lower half of the case is provided with a cut-out flange portion, preferably circular, which forms the locking means on that half of the cannister. The other half of the cannister carries a handle secured to an operating cam, the handle of course being on the outside of the cannister and accessible therefrom while the cam is on the inside. A plurality of radially movable locking lugs or dogs are mounted in slots in position to move outwardly with their outer ends engaged underneath the ledge or rim carried by the lower half, when in locked position, thereby to hold the parts securely assembled. The lugs are biased outwardly by means of a spring which preferably is in the form of a continuous annulus of rubber or the like against which the inner ends of the lugs abutt and the cam is disposed to move the lugs inwardly to unlocked position, thereby putting compressive forces on the rubber n'ng. Further, the cam is so shaped that when the handle is released the lugs tend to ride to the low points in the cam, namely, to a point to return the handle to locked storing reels of object the profor holding the together, in closed, sealed h red States Patent position. By this means the handle may be rotated only a few degrees, on either side of its center 13061121011, to unlock the cannister. More importantly, the handle need not be touched at all when locking the cannister halves together, it being only necessary to bring the canmster halves together and press them toward each other in their central areas.

A cannister illustrating features of my inventlon is shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

FIG. 1 is a small, isometric view of the cannlster 1n assembled position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmental detail sectional view taken through the device with the parts in locked posltion;

FIG. 3 is a detail sectional View taken generally along line LII-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line V-V of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmental detail sectional view taken horizontally through the locking lugs and showing them in inward, withdrawn or unlocked position;

FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing the handle, cam and locking lugs moved to a position for separating the halves of the cannister;

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing the parts ready for locking simply by pressing them together; and,

FIG. 9 is an exploded, isometric view representlng certain portions of the locking device.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention I show the same in association with a reel cannister indicated generally by the letter C, FIG. 1. As will be understood, the cannister embodies two halves 10 and 11. For the purposes of description herein I shall refer to the part 10 as the upper half and the part 11 as the lower half.

It will first be noted that the upper half 10 of the cannister is provided with a peripherally depending side flange 10a which is adapted to overlap a corresponding side edge on the part 11, whereby the reel inside the cannister is protected. It will next be noted that the upper half 10 is provided with a centrally disposed well 12 which may be formed by an inwardly turned circular wall 13 and a horizontally disposed, flat wall 14. In somewhat similar manner the half 11 is provided with a well 16 formed by a circular wall 17 and a horizontally disposed wall 18. For a purpose later to appear the wall 18 is centrally out away to provide a. circular opening 19 and the edges of the wall 18 defining the opening are beveled as at 21, to provide a downwardly sloping edge all around the opening 19.

The wall 14 of the upper half 10- is provided with a centrally disposed opening 22. Passing through the opening 22, and rotatable therein is the stem 'or shank portion 23 of a cam member indicated generally by numeral 24.

As best shown in FIG. 9 cam 24 is provided with a fiange 26 therearound and with a plurality of equally spaced, dwell positions 27 formed at the junction of walls 28 and 29. The shank 23 of cam member 24 is provided with a squared portion 31 which projects upwardly therefrom. A handle 32 is secured to the cam member by means of a screw or the like 33.

Also surrounding the shank 23 of the cam member 24 is a locking lug guide member indicated generally by the numeral 34. As shown, the locking lug guide member 34 is provided with a centrally disposed opening 36 through which the shank or stem 23 of the cam member 24 projects. Member 34 is provided with a pair of slots 37 adapted to interlock with a pair of depending lugs 38,

preferably formed integrally on the bottom surface of the wall 14, thereby to hold member 34 against rotation relative to the top half of the cannister.

The member 34 is provided with a plurality of radially disposed slots 39, one for each of the locking dogs or lugs indicated generally by the numeral 41. The slots 39 are cut on the underside of the locking lug holder.

The locking lugs proper are in the form of relatively short members, wide enough to fit slidably but snugly in the slots 39 and long enough to project underneath the horizontal wall 18 of the half 11, thereby to hold the parts assembled as will appear. Furthermore, the locking lugs are provided with lower, triangular sections 42 having vertical side walls complimentary to the angle formed by the juncture of the walls 28 and 29 which form the triangular dwell points 27 of the cam. The upper portion 43 of the dogs is the part which does the actual locking and is long enough to project outwardly, as stated, to the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 8. Furthermore, they are short enough to be withdrawn as shown in FIG. 7 so that the upper half of the cannister may be raised vertically from the lower half.

It will also be notedthat the locking lugs are provided with the vertical extensions 40 on their inner ends. Surrounding the lower portion of the locking lug holder or guide member 34 is a band of rubber like material 46, which conveniently may be simply an annulus of rubber which fits fairly snugly about the lower part of the member 34. It will be seen that by properly dimensioning the parts the rubber will exert an outward force on the locking lugs 41, at all times. When the lugs are withdrawn the rubber is placed under greater compressive force than when they are extended.

Projecting downwardly from the lower side of the locking lug carrier 34 is a pin 44. The pin 44 fits in an arcuate slot 47 carried on the top side, near the periphery, of cam member 24. This pin and slot arrangement serves as a stop to prevent the handle, and hence the cam, from being turned more than a certain amount from either side of their normal, at rest positions.

The sealing of the cannister may be enhanced by the provision of a rubber ring or the like 48 placed about the outer diameter and directly beneath the lower surface of wall 14. When the parts are in the position of FIG. 2 the ring 48 seals against the ingress of dust between the inner periphery of the cut out 19 and the depending locking mechanism.

From the foregoing the method of constructing and using my improved cannister together with the advantages thereof may now be more fully explained and understood. With the parts assembled as shown in the drawings, it will be apparent that the locking lugs are at all times biased outwardly toward locking position by means of the rubber ring 46, or any equivalent spring means. With the handle in relaxed position, that is, the pin 44 located substantially intermediate the ends of groove 47 it will be seen that the V-shaped sections 42 of each of the locking lugs rest in the dwell points 27 of the cam member 24. In this position, if the cannister halves are apart, the locking dogs are pushed outwardly substantially to the position of FIG. 8. In view of the fact that the locking lugs are provided on their ends with sloping projections 49, somewhat complementary to the sloping edge 21 of the opening 19, when the parts are brought to the position of FIG. 8 assembly is completed merely by pushing the parts downwardly. whereby the locking lugs, due to the outward push of the rubber ring 47 snap under the periphery of the wall 18 of the lower half 11. When locking the parts it is not necessary to rotate the handle. It is only necessary to bring the parts to the position of FIG. 8, push them together at their central portions whereby the locking lugs move inwardly due to the sloping sections on their ends and the sloping section 21 and then snap outwardly, beneath the wall 18. This brings the sealing gasket 48 into position and squeezes it, sealing out all dust in that area.

In order to ornament the device and to close off the bottom I may provide a circular cover member '51 which snaps into the bottom of the well in the lower half 11.

In view of the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved cannister having an improved locking mechanism therefor. It also will be seen that my invention is extremely practical and lends itself admirably to mass production methods of fabrication. It will be noted that while the part 34 may be cast integrally with the upper half, I prefer to make it separate for the reasons that the parts which are subjected to wear should be made of a different material, in practice, from the cannister halves themselves. Furthermore, while I show a rubber band for exerting the outward pressure on the dogs, various other forms of springs conceivably could be used. Still further, and in order to reduce friction on the rotating parts, I may provide a washer 52 on the upper surface of the cam and a washer 53 between the handle and the top surface of the wall 14.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptable of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a cannister for tape reels and the like of the kind embodying upper and lower cylindrical halves with centrally disposed inwardly projecting circular parts adapted to fit in the hub opening of a tape reel, a lock for securing said halves together in the central areas thereof comprising:

(a) a radially directed centrally open locking ledge carried by the bottom cannister half,

(b) a plurality of locking lugs carried by the upper half of the cannister and confined to substantially rectilinear movement from a locked position relative to said locking ledge to an unlocked position relative thereto,

(c) resilient means biasing said lugs toward locked position, and

(cl) a rotating locking lug cam and handle therefor carried by the upper half and operatively connected to the lugs for positively moving them from locked to unlocked positions upon rotary movement of the earn.

2. A reel cannister or the like as defined in claim 1 in which the locking lugs are confined for rectilinear movement in radially directed slots, and in which the means to bias the lugs toward locking position comprises a body of rubber-like material located to exert pressure on the lugs tending to move them into locking position.

3. A cannister as defined in claim 2 in which the locking lugs are mounted in radially directed slots provided in a member carried by the upper half of the cannister, said rotary locking lug cam embodying an upturned rim against which portions of the locking lugs engage when the cam is rotated, thereby to move the lugs from locked to unlocked position, said lug biasing means being in the form of an annulus of rubber-like material positioned so as to be engaged by the lugs whereby the lugs are biased to locked position.

4. For use in locking together the upper and lower halves of a tape reel cannister,

(a) a plurality of radially movable locking lugs mounted in one of the cannister halves and having outer ends disposed when outwardly extended to directly engage a portion of the other half of the cannister thereby to lock the cannister halves together,

(b) the outer ends of said lugs and said portion of the cannister with which they cooperate being so relatively shaped that the lugs snap under said portion when the halves are brought together in closed position,

5 6 (c) rubber elements against which the inner ends of (2) a manually operable handle connected to the the lugs engage thereby to bias the lugs outwardly, cam for rotating the same. and (d) means to move the lugs from locked to unlocked f r n s Cited Posltlofl compflsiflgl 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS (l) a cam having surfaces thereon effective upon rotation of the cam to Withdraw the lugs against a ig the force of said rubber elements thus to move the lugs to unlocking position, the force exerted WILLIAM T DIXSON, JR Primary Examiner by said rubber elements tending to move said 10 cam to a position corresponding tothe locked US. Cl. X.R. position of the lugs, and 2201, 55 

